Winchester Public Schools

School Start Time Study CommitteeSchool Committee Presentation

January 30, 2018

School Start Time Study Committee

Teachers/

Administrators:

Irene Diamond

Frances Wooff

Jen Lassins

Jaime Bailey

Anna Paradis

Leigh Petrowsky

Dennis Mahoney

Judith Evans

Parents/Community

Sarah Girotti

Mark Micciche

Patrick Gill

Michelle Bergstrom

Students:

Jackson Savage

Elizabeth Splaine

School Start Time

Student

Wellness

School Start History in Winchester

● 2016: Middlesex League resolution to work towards 8:30 a.m. start times in 2018-

2019

● Fall 2017: School Start Time Committee formed

○ Study Committee comprised of parents, teachers, principals and students --

representing all 7 schools

● Fall 2017: Committee identified key stakeholders and issues: athletics, community

engagement, teacher and staff engagement, busing and traffic, research

● Fall/Winter 2017:

○ Surveys (students, teachers, parents)

○ Community forum

○ Parent Association meetings

○ Solicited and reviewed feedback received via website and email

Process

Research

How does sleep and start time research inform our decisions?

Community FeedbackWhat issues & concerns do the stakeholders have?

EvaluationWhat is in the interest of the greatest good for the greatest number? What can we do to mitigate outstanding concerns?

Recommendations

How Much Sleep Do Teens Need?

●Teens need 8-10 hours of sleep a night. • Our survey data reports less than 20% of our MS/HS

students achieve the recommended number of hours of sleep

●Waking a teen at 6 a.m. is like waking an adult at 4 a.m.

••

••

•

WPS Student Survey (n=1,151)

Recommended hours

of sleep:

8-10

What does the research say?

Biology and Natural Circadian Rhythms

●Teens’ melatonin levels kick in around 11 p.m. and melatonin remains in their system, keeping them sleepy, until about 8 a.m.

*Not* due to habit, lifestyle, or choice.

Research Shows Students’ Sleep Cycle Changes

Sleep Impacts Mental and Physical Health

Lack of Sleep Impacts Mental & Physical Health

Serious repercussions on teenagers’ physical, mental and emotional health result from chronic lack of sleep

● Linked to :

• Mental health (depression, anxiety, irritability)

• Physical health

• Car accidents

• Sports injuries

• Substance abuse

Will teens sleep more or just stay up later?

● Teenagers get a second burst of wakefulness in the evening

● More morning sleep = more REM sleep = better quality sleep

● Students typically go to bed at the same time as before the start time change

Elementary Start Time Research

● There are few studies on ideal start time for elementary students

● Sleep research and parent feedback indicates that younger children are awake earlier than teens

● Surveys from elementary parents indicate that an earlier start time may be helpful in reducing the need for before school care

Impact on Families

● Schedules will be better for some families, and more challenging for others

● After school child care may need to be adjusted or increased for some families (cost, timing)

● Family time may shift earlier or later, depending on schedules

● Employment hours may be affected

Impact on Transportation

● The district currently uses the same buses to transport both elementary and middle/high school students (two-tier system).

● In order to maintain our two-tier bus system, elementary and middle/high school bus runs must be staggered by 30 minutes.

● A single bus run for all grade levels = $500,000 in additional transportation budget

Impact on Bus Pick-Up and Traffic

● The first K-5 bus pick-up time• No earlier than 7:25 a.m.

● First grade 6-12 bus pick-up time• No earlier than 7:55 a.m.

● A traffic study is recommended following start time change

● Even at latest sunrise of the year (7:13 a.m), students will walk and wait at bus stops in the daylight both in the morning and afternoon.

Impact on Sports

Well-rested students experience better sports performance and fewer injuries

Student athletes who do not get at least 8 hours of sleep per night are at greater risk of sports-related injuries. That risk

increases incrementally with each grade in school.

Impact on Sports (cont’d)

● High school student gamess and practices may begin later, depending on the sport/season.

● Shifted practice times will may mean acquiring different facility times or flexible student school schedules

● Lighted fields will be required in fall and spring, particularly for youth sports, as night falls at approximately:

6:30 p.m in late October

6:00 p.m. in early November

7:30 p.m. in early April

Impact on Teachers/Staff

● Morale of our staff is critical to the success of any change

● Some teachers may have conflicts with scheduling second jobs/graduate school

● Child/elder care may need to be adjusted; district will offer wrap-around care for in-district students

● Commuting time may improve for some, and may get worse for others

School Start Time

Student

Wellness

Recommendations

Committee recommendation for 2018-2019:

Elementary 8:10 - 2:20

MS/HS 8:30 - 3:07

Pre-K: 8:25-(varies)

Additional requirements for success:

● Before and after school wrap-around care● Adjusted bus schedules● Lighted athletic fields● Ongoing stakeholder engagement and conversation● Traffic study in Fall 2018● Continuation of robust after school activities

Issue Facts/Advantages Challenges Resolution

Wrap-around care

needed at

elementary schools

● 30 minutes before

school

● 60 minutes after

school

● Low-cost (under

$10/session)

● Flexible

● Site-based

● May not work for all families

● Staffing needs based on usage

● Need to add provision to support teacher PD/meetings

Providers have been identified who can support wrap-around programs, including current providers and/or in-district employees

Non-District After-School Program

Some programs may be easier to schedule right after dismissal due to secondary change

Some programs may need to change their hours of operation

Continued district communication will be needed if start/end time change implemented

IIssue Facts/Advantages Challenges Resolution

Transportation Bus schedules revised to shorten time between arrival and start

If ridership stable, no cost increases

Impact on ridership unknown

Possible impact on in-district special education transportationrequires further study

Tighter bus scheduling could lead to delays in poor weather

Registration process will start earlier

New bus contract pending

Intensive monitoring of bus system during first weeks of operation

Traffic Flex drop off/pick up may reduce traffic

More students may be able to take the bus

Too many variables to do traffic study until after implementation

District will work with town officials to assess traffic once school starts

IIssue Facts/Advantages Challenges Resolution

ExtracurricularActivities

No impact beyond time shift

No plans to use before-school time for activities

District will continue to offer robust after-school activities

Athletics Two fields at Skilling coming online in Fall 2018 will help alleviate some scheduling pressures

Students may experience better performance and less injury

Student return time after some contests will be later than current schedule

Some student early dismissals may be required

Sharing fields with youth sports will require complex scheduling

Temporary lighting for field(s) will be used, but new lights must be funded/installed

No plans for new before-school practices

Scheduling completed by June 2018

IIssue Facts/Advantages Challenges Resolution

Impact on staff Elementary teachers/staff may have improved commutes

Morale

Impact on second jobs

Impact on child care and elder care

Impact on grad courses

Impact on commute

Wrap-around care will cover later meeting times

Homework Homework is a critical concern of parents, students, and staff members

Concern about excessive homework loads contributing to lack of sleep

Homework study committee will be formed in Spring 2018

Impacts on auxiliary staffing

Crossing guards will

need to adjust working

hours

2018-2019 Proposed Start/End Times

Grade Level Start Time End Time

Elementary (K-5) 8:10 a.m. 2:20 p.m.

McCall Middle (6-8) 8:30 a.m. 3:07 p.m.

Winchester High 8:30 a.m. 3:07 p.m.

PreK (V-O/Lynch) 8:25 a.m. Varies by program

Middlesex League

Town ES MS HS Year/Notes Town ES MS HS Year/Notes

Arlington 8:10 8:30 8:00 No change for 2018 Stoneham 8:30 7:58 8:15 HS New for

2018

Belmont 8:40 7:55 7:35 2019 Wakefield New sup’t.

Burlington 8:10/

8:35

7:35 8:35 New for 2018 Watertown 8:15 8:30 8:30 New for 2018

Lexington New sup’t. Wilmington New sup’t.

Melrose 8:05 8:15 8:15 No change for 2018 Winchester 8:10 8:30 8:30 2018 (pending)

Reading 8:15 7:30 Woburn New sup’t.

History: Middlesex League

● In 2016, all twelve member districts of the Middlesex League agreed to work towards a starting time of 8:30 a.m. to support students’ physical and emotional health.○ 5 districts with 8:00 or later start time for Sept 2018

• Winchester would be #6○ 4 districts with change in Superintendent○ 2 districts who will study/change for 2019

● All districts agree to accommodate later start times for matches and games for 2018-2019.

Resources

● Content for this presentation provided from the Start School Later Website: http://www.startschoollater.net(Stacy Simera, MSSA, LISW-S, SAP)

● Winchester Public Schools Website: School Start Times Page http://www.winchesterps.org/family_resources/superintendent/school_start_time_study_committee/index.php